Off the Chain
by Uskius
Summary: The sequel to The Battle at Beacon! Another off-hand comment leads to a rap battle between Weiss and Jaune- but this time, the stakes are even higher! Rated T for language((EPILOGUE: Weiss heard them rushing up behind her, and stepped over the rail. "NO!"))


Weiss never thought the lie would catch up to her. In the heat of the moment she had reflexively uttered an un-truth, and almost forgot about it. Until, that is, her schoolmates kept bombarding her with inquiries about when the next "Schnee Slam International" sponsored rap battle was. Quickly and quietly, Weiss did something she may or may not have had practice doing, and set up a shell company using the family's money, just to make things "official". Except, the requests picked up after that, and online searches for the company name skyrocketed.

After starting with a simple version of her family's crest, Weiss was out of ideas. Several minutes later, she had the idea of adding the initials to the inside. Simple cursive and block letters weren't working, and then she remembered those stylized Ss everyone drew all over everything in middle school and used those, making the I slant toward the edges so that it fit in. Weiss shrugged. It wasn't flashy like many people would probably expect from a battle rap promotion's logo, but it wasn't terrible either. Using the texture feature of the program Weiss made it a metallic silver, and nodded. That was it. Now, to just send the design to the jeweller…

Leaning back into her chair and folding her arms, Weiss took a deep breath and sighed. In addition to everything going on with school and her work as a Hunter, legitimizing Schnee Slam International was at once entirely too much work and an odd sort of escape. Though it had never interested her before, when things got a little too stressful at home or school Weiss researched the battle rap culture, getting absorbed in the subtleties of constructing a devastating verse; and as she was learning and perhaps being entertained(though Weiss would never admit that even to herself) she knew she was also neglecting making all the battles happen: booking the venues and artists, discreetly transferring the prize money…

With another sigh, Weiss closed her laptop. Lunch was almost over, and it would take time to get to her next class from her current hiding place.

~oOo~

Jaune had stayed long over lunch, past when his teammates had given up on getting him to come with them. The vague listless feeling had stolen away his hunger again, and after pushing around his food for a while, Jaune gave up and took his tray back. He drifted through the halls to his next class, feeling invisible- no worse than invisible- people saw him, but looked away when they neared. Until he saw _her_ coming from the other direction. Jaune realized the listless feeling had a source, and what he needed to do. It felt so different from the other times, somehow more vulnerable and honest.

"Weiss…"

"Oh. Hello, Jaune."

"I know you have to get to class, but I was wondering: do you think we could go out on a date sometime?"

"Jaune, no. I just have too much on my plate right now, and even if I did want to I wouldn't have the time." This rebuttal felt a little different to Weiss, as if before she had only made excuses.

"Hey, I'm busy too. Maybe we could meet up and I could help you with your homework and things?"

This struck Weiss as a good idea; she would have to be sure to ask Blake later. If anyone could be trusted to keep her Schnee Slam International work a secret, it would be her. "...No, I'm on top of my homework right now. Things have just gotten really hectic lately."

"Too hectic for a rap battle?" Jaune said jokingly. It was like the first time, but even bigger: not only could Jaune hear the crowded hallway come to a stop, but he was sure that he could physically _hear_ everyone listening.

Weiss sensed it as well, and cleared her throat. "If S.S.I. puts it on the card, I guess I might as well. But again, I'm really busy, and I might not be able to make it." _And by S.S.I. I mean me, which means it definitely isn't happening,_ Weiss thought.

"Aww, last time was pretty fun," Jaune said with a smile. The memory of the moment during lunch is a bright spot for Jaune. Despite the battle, he feels like it's the only time he's really connected with Weiss.

"Maybe this one will get even more views!" Someone says from behind Jaune.

"What do you mean, 'more views'?" Weiss asks, looking around.

"You honestly don't know?" Jaune said, with a grin. Weiss shook her head. "Nora recorded our battle in the cafeteria and uploaded it to SchneeTube."

Weiss felt the color draining from her face as a chill went down her spine. A "Do it!" chant was starting to pick up, and Weiss glanced at Jaune. "...How… what… um- I can't be late for class." Weiss dashed through the door, sitting down and opening her textbook.

~oOo~

"-And I've been using a matchmaking program, since I don't have the time to make battles by hand," Weiss said with a yawn.

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's how some of the ball leagues do it, isn't it?"

"That's true, but…"

"'But' what?" Blake asked. She seldom saw Weiss nervous like this, and leaned forwards in interest.

"...But, I'm… starting to get really into this. I want to go with who's-" Weiss swallowed- "Who's hot, so that Schnee Slam really becomes something special."

Blake had to chuckle at hearing that, but she could sense Weiss was serious so she quickly turned it into a cough. "Well, you have to hear something about these guys from your research before booking them. Who's been your biggest draw so far?"

"Lady Val Holla," Weiss said, the mysterious rapper coming to mind. "She wears a bandanna over her face and sunglasses and has the most mind-warpingly black sense of humor I've ever heard. People seem to love her, for some reason."

"Then put her on the card!"

"But she's too good! I don't want to overuse her!"

Blake held her chin for a moment, looking at the line-up in front of her. "...Maybe you could make her a guest host, or name the event after one of her lines."

"Yes, that's it! But… her lines…"

"I'll pick the name, if you don't want to say it," Blake offered. Weiss nodded, and pulled up the battle on SchneeTube. " _I came here to put you in the six deep locker…"_ Blake's eyes went wide as Lady Val Holla finished her opening scheme, and her jaw dropped as the verse finished.

"See?"

"I can't believe it…" Blake said faintly, pausing the video.

"I couldn't either, but I thought I should attend at least one of my events-"

"Nora Valkyrie is a _battle rapper…_ " Then Blake began laughing, her shoulders bobbing up and down.

"...Wait, did you say that Jaune's teammate Nora is actually Lady Val Holla?"

Blake stopped laughing for a moment and nodded. "Apparently so. But that opening line- that'll be the event name. The 'dead man's boner' line was pretty good too, but I don't think using that in advertising would be in good taste."

Weiss nodded in agreement, and typed _Six Deep Locker_ as the header on the flyer. "So we've got our big star and host and two side matches, but still no main event." Weiss sighed. "Well, would you mind working on more potential matches?" She asked Blake. "I still have a bit of studying to do."

Blake tried for a while, but as she wasn't aware of the Vale battle rap scene like Weiss was, hit a dead end. She could see Weiss hunched over her homework but didn't want to interrupt her, so she went back to pondering a matchup. Like a light switching on, she remembered the encounter from earlier in the day. She had been standing several steps behind Weiss then, but was still able to hear Jaune propose another rap battle. _What did she say, "If it gets put on the card then I might?" Something like that. Heh, why not?_ Blake thought. As luck- or perhaps fate- would have it, after she typed in "Schnee vs Arc II" in the main event slot, Weiss stirred. Blake almost jumped, feeling keys being pressed down before she hurriedly closed the laptop. Weiss was asleep, Blake realized, and looked at the clock. It was late. Softly putting Weiss' jacket over her shoulders, Blake left to get ready for bed.

~oOo~

Weiss was still tired at lunch, all the late night sessions of Schnee Slam International work starting to catch up to her. When she came in and she saw dozens of people trying not to look at her, she didn't think much of it- this happened frequently, and frequently meant nothing. She spied Jaune coming her way holding a colorful piece of paper in his hand as she got in line, and sighed.

"Hey Weiss! You'll never guess-"

"Jaune, at least let me get my lunch first, please."

"Alright," He said with a smirk.

 _Does this have something to do with that paper in his hand?_ Weiss thought. She tried to sneak a glance at it, but Jaune noticed, and moved the paper behind his back as he stepped in line after her.

"NO WAY!" Shouted Nora from behind Jaune, her eyes glued to the paper he was holding. "Is it seriously happening?!"

"Keep it down, I wanted to make it a surprise," Jaune stage whispered. As Nora looked over the paper again her expression briefly lapsed into shock, but she hastily composed herself.

"I can't wait," Nora sung.

There was a mounting feeling of dread as Weiss went through the lunch line and wondered what Jaune and Nora could be so excited about. There was nothing unusual going on with schoolwork or training, and aside from asking her out on dates there couldn't have been any reason for Jaune to talk to her. Weiss took a seat at her team's usual spot, with Yang already seated there. Jaune and Nora were close behind her, swooping in and sitting down next to Yang.

"Hey guys. Come to Jaune us for lunch?" Yang asked.

"Why yes," Jaune replied, not picking up on the misuse of his name, "It will be lovely to spend lunch here with you and Miss Schnee." Jaune calmly took a bite of his macaroni and cheese, and suddenly Weiss couldn't wait any longer.

"Okay, what is it." Jaune cleared his throat and picked up his tray, sliding the flyer from under it across to Weiss. She saw the Schnee Slam International logo and graffiti-like lettering, but what was at the top escaped her for a moment. "Alright, so you follow S.S.I., what's- what's…" _I didn't finish the flyer last night…_ With another look, she saw the main event… _How did this go up on the website?!_

"Do you remember what you said?" Jaune asked with a grin. "If I remember correctly, it was 'if S.S.I. puts it on the card, I guess I might as well'. So…"

Weiss looked around the table at Jaune and Yang and Nora, then closed her eyes and sighed. "...Fine." Jaune began to laugh in triumph.

"And the stakes will be the same as last time, too-"

" _No._ " Weiss interrupted, staring down Jaune. "This time, _I_ want something out of it, too. If- _when_ I win, you can't ask me out on a date ever again."

Jaune held her stare, then nodded. "Alright. That'll be a risk I'll have to take." He turned to Nora then, smiling again. "I'll need you there to back me up, alright?"

"Um, I- I can't, I already have something planned for that night," Nora replied, glancing at Weiss before looking away.

"But, this is going to be officially sponsored by Schnee Slam International! It'll be the hottest joint in Vale! Totally dope!" Jaune exclaimed, pumping his fist.

"Totally fresh!" Yang added.

"Totally fly!" Ruby chimed in. "What exactly are we talking about?"

"According to that flyer, a battle rap event," Blake explained. Weiss felt Blake's hand on her thigh, leaving behind a piece of paper.

"And apparently, it'll be here, on the roof," Said Yang, reading the flyer upside-down.

"We could all just stay after school," Weiss proposed, looking at Nora.

Yang feigned falling backwards out of her seat. "Did Weiss actually just suggest doing something fun? Who are you and what have you done with my teammate?!" Yang shouted, pointing her finger.

"It's a good idea, really. But I was planning to work on Magnhild that night and the next one," Nora lied.

"I thought you just upgraded the delivery the other day," Said Jaune.

"A hunter's work is never done," Weiss said, taking a bite of her yams. She glanced down at the slip of paper on her leg, which read " _It was an accident. Sorry."_

"Exactly! And it'll probably be on SchneeTube, too. I'll just catch it later," Nora added happily.

 _A battle rapper's work is never done, either._ Thought Weiss. _What have I gotten myself into...?_

~oOo~

Cinder Fall turned to her mole. "Well over four million views. It is, as I think the younger generation says, viral, and yet may become legendary."

Cinder's Beacon mole folded their arms. "But, however popular it may be, it's still a rap battle."

"Don't be fooled by the illusion of form! As you know, we work on division. This is an opportunity to set them on each other, and cause lingering doubts and resentment that could keep them apart for years to come."

"Well, when you put it like that, yeah. But… _battle rap?_ "

Cinder cuffed her mole on the back of their head. "Schnee Slam International is still a growing company. We must make sure that this 'Six Deep Locker' event of theirs is a smashing success, and work to split the study body in support of Schnee and Arc." Cinder gazed into her mole's eyes. "I think you know exactly what you have to do."

Cinder's mole bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"You are dismissed."

~oOo~

Weiss was almost willing to accept it was a dream, until she saw the Six Deep Locker flyers plastered all over the walls at the Academy. She tried to ignore it as best she could, but her teammates and Jaune kept sending her not-so-discreet winks and glances through their morning classes.

The other students had reverted to their old ways, stage whispering and pointing at Weiss wherever she went; as if they had lost their immunity to her presence. After getting the book for her next class from the locker, she closed it to find Russel Thrush standing next to her.

"A Schnee in the main event of a Schnee Slam International show?"

"I didn't make the match, if that's what you're-"

"I'm just saying it looks a little suspicious," Russel said loudly. "You Schnee try to make us think you're all professional, but this is some Vince McMahon B.S. Are you going to take the chain after Ruby or Yang hits Jaune with a chair shot from behind?" Russel laughed, and a few of the other students nearby laughed with him. Weiss looked at them, and could see they were slightly relieved, as if Russel had said what they'd all been thinking.

"Like I said, I didn't make the match. When I woke up yesterday, the match was up on the website! I had nothing to do with it!"

"Stop trying to play the victim," Russel said as he chuckled and walked by. "We all know this is just a power fantasy of yours," He said over his shoulder. Weiss fumed for a moment, and then stormed off to her Dust Applications class.

Weiss could only think of pranking Russel with what she learned during class. It was tedium that focused on miniscule applications of Dust, as the rest of the chapter did. She knew, though, that her revenge plots were really a distraction from what Russel had said. As she absentmindedly took notes for study, a line popped into her head: " _First off, the jabs at my family are so old; they don't get to me anymore- I'm Stone Cold."_ Weiss quickly wrote it down, and got absorbed in releasing her frustrations through rhyme. The bell startled her, and she rushed to tear the pages from her notepad and stuff them in her pocket before they could be seen.

"Writing a love letter to Jaune?" One of her classmates, Sienna Baker, joked.

"Absolutely not!" Weiss replied indignantly. "I was… I was taking notes on class."

"I'm pretty sure I saw his name in there somewhere," Sienna said with a smile, brushing her light brown hair behind her ear.

"That was just a reminder to tell Jaune about the details of the rap battle,"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that!" Sienna laughed. "Is it actually happening?"

"Yes, it's actually happening," Weiss sighed. She looked up at the much taller girl, wondering why a classmate who had always been distant was now interested. "Monday at seven after school, on the roof."

"And it's here at school? This is too perfect!" Sienna giggled. "Well, I don't want to get in the way of you delivering your letter. Far be it from me to keep a Schnee from finding love!" Sienna was almost skipping as she walked away. With another sigh, Weiss made a mental note to actually fill Jaune in on how the rap battle would work, and left for lunch.

~oOo~

Jaune nodded his head along with the beat before jumping in.

"So let's take a look at your history  
You're from Atlas;  
The burden on your back is a legacy of misery  
Titanic errors run through your genes like dysentery  
Your father is classist

He's on track to make the Schnee name like a bitter dream  
And your sister- unafraid to trade her name for a quicker scheme  
She's tactless  
And your mother wouldn't hesitate to sell you out for a-" Jaune hesitated, and after a moment Lie pressed pause on the CD player.

"What's the holdup?"

"It's just, this verse is going in a little _too_ deep, I think. I want to win the battle, but I don't want to completely ruin things between us, ya know?"

"But this is one of the biggest rap battles in Vale history! You have to go all in, or you won't come out with your name intact."

"But I'm not a rapper," Jaune countered. "I'm a Hunter first, remember?" Jaune walked over to his desk chair and slumped down in it, folding his arms over his chest and sighing. "This isn't fun anymore… all those love raps I used to write, and that first battle in the cafeteria, they were just spur of the moment stuff; and now that it's gotten to this point…"

Lie nodded, and walked over to stand in front of Jaune. "Listen, Jaune... look- if you had _one shot_ or _one opportunity_ to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment- would you capture it? Or just let it slip?"

Jaune stood up and fiercely grabbed his pen, holding it like a microphone. "His palms are sweaty- knees weak, arms are heavy; there's vomit on his sweater already: mom's spaghetti-"

Lie cut in and continued the verse: "He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin' what he wrote down; the whole crowd goes so loud…" Lie and Jaune continued trading lines of Eminem's _Lose Yourself_ , Jaune's mood lightening as he got deeper and deeper into the lyrics. _This_ was what Jaune had loved about rap, losing yourself in the passion of the moment. The emotion kept growing, and as Lie finished the last chorus, Jaune went on.

"They called it a pipe dream,  
They write me off nightly despite these  
Sublime scenes of me cappin' off these hype beats  
I'm a Hunter- you wanna take a chance? try me  
It's no wonder prey pray they don't see me backlit by lightning  
When things look grim, I keep on driving  
Thriving in circumstances that leave most crying  
But I stay hungry- I don't the small successes blind me  
So if you second-guess, I'll hit twice before you see me striking!

You better lose yourself…" After Jaune finished the chorus, he found Lie staring at him, eyes, wide.

"You don't even realize, do you?" Lie asked, shaking his head.

"Realize what? We were just trading off on Lose Yourself."

"Exactly. Change of plans, Jaune: freestyle everything."

~oOo~

Weiss had found the heavy package outside the team's room when she left for class in the morning. It was an unremarkable plain brown box addressed to her in cursive so neat it almost looked printed, and was fold-closed instead of taped. She toed it inside the door and left, almost forgetting it until she came back during lunch to work on her raps.

For a moment, she wondered if Blake or Yang had a look through it, and checked the top. It seemed to be folded closed the same way. Plopping down on her bed, Weiss tilted the box away from her face, and opened it. Nothing happened, and she sighed in relief. On top was a letter addressed to her in the same hand as the box, a plain white envelope that Weiss detected held only one sheet of paper. She took it out and unfolded it, whispering it to herself.

" _Esteemed Ms. Schnee,_

 _My associates and clients have been keen to expand our corporation's portfolio for some time now. Our clients especially have taken an interest in 'hip-hop', and the growing battle rap scene in Vale. Your promotion, though small, has seen steady growth in its popularity. Your upcoming event has been related to me as especially promising by our clientele, and so I have led the decision to extend this box as an offering of goodwill between our corporations, its contents to be used to promote or as a prize for the main event of your 'Six Deep Locker' show._

 _Stay Fresh to Death,_

 _~Kelly Burns, Fullerton Umbridge Cameron Kincade Information Technologies C.E.O."_

Tossing the letter on the bed beside her, Weiss looked into the box, and gasped. _That's- one, two, three… five times two, and it's… two deep, so that- that's around a million, in cash!_ Weiss took a stack out, and flipped through it. All the lien bore the small holographic stamp that signified the bank had inspected them, and were not counterfeit. Even though Weiss had never been lacking for money, seeing so much of it all in one place was a major shock. She scrambled to stuff the letter back in the box and fold it shut, putting it up in her closet. Falling back onto her pillow, Weiss closed her eyes and massaged her temples, trying to make sense of the insanity of the week. It wasn't working. She got up and paced. Her mind was going a million miles an hour in a million different directions. She spotted her notepad, and on an impulse grabbed it and the pencil next to it and started writing. The sudden box of lien, the fact the battle was even happening, her distaste for the lunch menu; all of it came out in a way that seemed to make perfect sense to Weiss as she lined up her rhymes.

Sighing, Weiss took another look at her frantic verse. Its scattered nature had been a relief during the process, but now was embarrassing. Ripping out the page, Weiss tossed it in the trash. Realizing now she needed a plan, she began to lay the foundation for her verses…

As she went on, something was becoming clear to Weiss that she would have to confront: she didn't actually hate Jaune. From all that she knew of him he was a legitimately nice guy, albeit one that Weiss wasn't interested in. He was thoughtful, and courageous, and light-hearted and humorous. She briefly wondered why Jaune thought they'd be such a good fit, but shook her head and got back to planning before she could fall too far down that particular rabbit hole. And then the pieces fell into place. Weiss hesitated for moment, then erased a few points and scribbled new ones. If she was really going to do this, there couldn't be anything held back.

~oOo~

It had been a reinvigorating day so far for Jaune. He was buoyed up by his freestyling with Lie early in the morning, and his textbooks just made a little more _sense_ than usual. He was about to head back to his team's dorm when he heard whispers rising and soft footsteps coming up behind him.

"Jaune, um… I have to tell you a few things…"

Jaune made the mistake of turning around to look. He had dreamed of this- Weiss saying almost those exact words, with the exact same somewhat embarrassed and shy expression on her face. He could see Weiss looking back at him, seeming to understand something of his dream before she cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah! Go ahead. Go, uh, sure- you can. Tell me whatever it was."

"It's about the format of the rap battle. For their main events, Schnee Slam International has a coin toss to see who goes first. There are then two rounds with a three minute time limit, and the third and final round is untimed." Weiss took a calming breath; this really wasn't quite as bad as she'd thought it would be. In fact, it was almost easy to talk to Jaune. "So, after we're done, the decision will go to the crowd and two judges. The crowd's vote is by majority, and the two judges make their pick. Two or more votes makes a winner."

"Alright, that sounds good, pretty standard." Said Jaune, nodding. "An unlimited round could kinda throw things out of whack, but I'm down with that."

"Maybe, we could sort of have an agreement about the length between us? Say, we try to keep the unlimited round to about ten minutes or less?"

Jaune mulled this over for a moment. "Well, it _is_ supposed to be unlimited, but I'll probably get everything out before then, so sure. Deal?" Asked Jaune, holding out his hand. After a brief moment of hesitation Weiss took it, finding Jaune's grip to be strong and sure.

"Also, there was… a prize that was donated for the winner…" Weiss said, suddenly getting nervous again.

"Sweet! Are we getting the chain, or something?"

"Um, no- the chain is strictly for championship battles. But, there is… some money for the winner of our battle."

"Oh?" Jaune stage whispered. "How much?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Maybe, around about a… million or so-"

"A million what?" Coco Adel asked, just perhaps a bit too loudly, as she walked over carrying her books in her arms.

"A million lien, baby!" Jaune crowed. Coco smirked as she continued walking by, and whispers spread like popcorn popping as the students in the hall put two and two together and began to grow excited.

"Um, that was all," Weiss said quietly, glancing at Jaune before she fixed her eyes on the floor and walked off.

 _And suddenly, the old Weiss is back,_ Jaune thought. Regardless, the news brought another thrill to Jaune's day: the prospect of not only going out on a date with Weiss, but also banking a million lien. He couldn't wait to tell his teammates; they would definitely get a kick out of this.

~oOo~

"-I have already made arrangements to perform the switch, which will give us control of the decision."

"Do you know how you're going to swing it?" Cinder's mole asked.

"Well, that depends on the remainder of your report," Cinder said, not turning around to look. She stood in front of the large tube filled with a bubbling neon green liquid, arms folded as she thought several steps ahead.

"About the inflammation and division, ma'am… I haven't done anything." Cinder turned around, causing her mole to run several steps back. "I haven't had to!" They cried, raising their arms in defense.

"Explain," Cinder commanded.

"You see," The mole began, lowering their arms slightly, "Schnee is already somewhat of a polarizing figure amongst the student body at Beacon, due to her family. Her personality isn't much help either, and lends itself to many misinterpretations of her distance and poise."

"And what about Arc?"

"He's… interesting. He's a goofball at times, dedicated Hunter at others, and seems to naturally inspire support. I've overheard a few teachers and some of the students say they're betting on him to win."

"Very well. Continue your advertising with our shell websites, but you _must_ make an effort to split the academy in support of Schnee and Arc." Cinder turned back around to face the large tube. "It's good you brought up Schnee again. We might not just use this to break up the next generation of Hunters, but cripple her family and Hunters as a whole…"

~oOo~

"Why do you keep saying beer can?" Ruby Rose asked Weiss, as she took a bite of mashed potatoes.

"I told you, I'm practicing the accent for the battle on Monday."

"I thought people from Atlas weren't supposed to have accents?" Blake joked.

"I don't," Weiss huffed, "But I need to have one for this line. It's crucial- not only is it an Iron Solomon reference to get the hardcore battle rap fans on my side, but it's also, well, a funny accent to make people laugh and make them think I'm not a stuffy old Schnee."

"Well," Yang said after a large gulp of her soda, "I have no idea who in the blue Hell Iron Solomon is, but you've got me on your side."

"Me too," Agreed Blake, with Ruby nodding beside her.

"I didn't really know you could write stuff for rap battles," Ruby said.

"A lot of people do, actually." Answered Weiss. "Some fans like it, some fans don't. I can freestyle if I have to, but I'd like to have a couple themes going and some lines in my pocket for if my mind blanks when I'm freestyling."

"And what _are_ you going to rap about, anyways?" Blake wondered. "You can't very well do gun or drug dealing verses."

"Yeah, it's too bad Weiss can't rap about dust," Yang lamented. Weiss shot Yang a glare, and then pushed her food around on her plate for a moment.

"...I'm going to talk about the things that make Jaune who he is," Weiss said quietly.

"Like a biography?" Ruby asked. "I thought this was supposed to be a battle."

"Rap battle 'biographies' aren't very friendly," Sighed Weiss. "Listen, guys, could we talk about this later? I just want to eat right now."

"But it's _you_ , rap battling!" Said Yang. "You have to realize how crazy this is, right?"

"You don't have to tell me how crazy it is," Weiss said sullenly. "I got a call from my father last night about it…"

"Screw what your dad thinks!" Yang said, pointing at Weiss. "This is your battle, you should do what you want!"

Blake looked over at Weiss, raising an eyebrow. Weiss shook her head, and in return Blake shrugged. "He… he didn't tell me to drop out, but he made it very clear I should represent our family well. Look, guys: I got myself into this mess, and I'll get myself out. You don't need to worry."

"But that's when we worry the most!" Ruby complained. In the silence that followed, Weiss felt someone watching her. She glanced around quickly, and found Sienna a table away, turning her head as if she didn't want to be caught looking. Her mood lowering, Weiss tried to ignore Sienna's glances for the rest of the meal.

Soon after lunch, however, Weiss felt someone tapping her shoulder as she was walking to class. It was Sienna, looking somewhat cautious, yet hopeful. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Weiss weighed her options. Sienna had always seemed frivolous and flirtatious when not around Weiss- someone Weiss wouldn't have usually sought the company of- but was known to be an outgoing girl. There technically wouldn't be anything wrong with a short conversation. On the other hand, she had also heard about hours-long conversations Sienna had, some of which took place via scroll during classes. _Well,_ Thought Weiss, _a quick talk with her wouldn't be the craziest or worst thing to happen this week. Why not._ "Alright, just as long as it's quick: I have-" Before she could finish the sentence, Sienna took Weiss' hand and pulled her away down the hall.

Pulling open the door before Weiss could read the sign on it, Sienna dragged her in and shut it behind them, flipping on the light. "So," Sienna began, confidently folding her arms across her chest. "I've heard Jaune asks you out on lots of dates, but you always turn him down…."

Weiss tried to keep a straight face; she wasn't entirely sure she succeeded."Yes, that's very true."

"Why?" Asked Sienna, smirking. "He's pretty funny, and he's easy on the eyes, too."

 _Jaune? Cute?_ Weiss thought. She'd never thought of him as ugly, but now that she thought of it, Jaune was definitely not ugly, and probably not average, either. "...At first, it was because I thought he only wanted to date a Schnee, and not me. And then it was because he asked so much. Now, it's just sort of a habit."

"So your resistance is slowly wearing down?"

"My resistance is definitely not wearing down!"

"Easy, it was just a joke- but, you _did_ kind of imply that's what it was."

"Maybe it's the same for Jaune, maybe asking me on a date is all he knows how to do."

"Alright," Sienna said, leaning against a rack of cleaning supplies. "But say that it wasn't out of habit. Why turn him down?"

Weiss sighed, and looked away at the bottle of cleaning solution next to Sienna's face. "I'm just not interested. I… I guess he's a nice guy, I just don't want to date him."

"Not interested?" Weiss can see the light go on in Sienna's mind, and the tall girl leaned forwards, whispering even though they were alone in a closet. "It makes sense, now… How you dress, how you're so close with your team, and how you never check out the guys around here…"

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, feeling her cheeks starting to heat up.

"Well, you said you're not interested in Jaune," Sienna said, "But did you really mean you just not interested in males at all?" Weiss stared at Sienna in open-mouthed shock, and then slammed the Janitor's Closet door open. "Wait! I'm not saying that like I don't think-" But by then Weiss was well away towards the next class, and Sienna's words were lost in the chatter of the crowded hall.

Weiss didn't see Blake in the hall, but noticed the Faunus girl already seated in the next class, and sat down beside her. "What's up?" Blake asked, immediately noting something was bothering Weiss.

"Do-" Weiss swallowed, then leaned over and lowered her voice. "Do you think I'm… not attracted to men."

Blake raised an eyebrow. "I've caught you sneaking a peek at Neptune's package more times than I can count, and you don't even keep your electric toothbrush in the bathroom," Answered Blake. "I think you're just… very picky."

With a small nod of appreciation, Weiss turned back to the front of the class and got out her textbook as the rest of the students filed in. Monday couldn't come soon enough for her.

~oOo~

"This is crunch time! You've gotta have it down by now!" Lie said to Jaune.

"I've got my opening verse, it's just…"

"Just what?" Lie asked, leaning against the wall next to Jaune's bed.

"It's just missing something a little _extra_ ," Jaune said quietly with a sigh.

"How?" Asked Lie, throwing his hands up. "You're already putting everything out there. This first verse, all those back-pocket couplets to freestyle off of, they're… _you_ , one hundred percent authentic. You're putting out everything you can."

A connection falls into place in the back of Jaune's mind, and Lie can almost see a light bulb flicking on above his head. "...Or am I?"

"Or are you what?"

"Putting everything out there."

"Basically, unless you've been hiding some major stuff from us."

"But what about any antics and hijinx? Something to make sure my rhymes pop, and everyone's talking about MY verses?" Jaune said, growing more and more excited. Lie cocked an eyebrow, and Jaune continued. "Just think about it- a guy and a girl, battling. What would be the _ultimate_ swerve to guarantee everyone's talking about me, and to throw Weiss off her game?"

"No clue, unless you're planning on showing up n- no, no no no!" Lie broke out into laughter. "No way, man. You are _not!_ "

"Oh, I so totally am! And it opens up new paths for my freestyle, too-"

"Could you guys keep it down, please?" Asked Nora, looking over from her rap journal disguised as a textbook. "I'm trying to study."

"But you'd have to be pretty lean to make it work, though," Lie said, ignoring Nora "I don't know if you can get that cut in a couple days."

"I'm not carrying around much extra in the first place," Jaune said with a wave of his hand. "I'll just do a juice cleanse until the battle."

"Shaving, though- how are you gonna do that?" Lie asked, not noticing Nora almost gag and slip on her earbuds in the background...

~oOo~

"It's going to take some work to reschedule the trip," Weiss said, exhausted.

"It was a family emergency! There was nothing I could do about it!" Silver Bullet said.

"I understand that. But I tried to get you here on a slow travel day, to save money, and…"

"And what?" Silver Bullet asked, after hearing Weiss go silent.

"...And travel on the rail line has been picking up the last couple of days, for some reason. It's going to cost more to get you here for your battle with Grimm Dogg-"

"You said the trip was free! I need the money!"

"I know! The thing is, we have a tight budget, Bullet- so the only other way I can come up with right now is to take the cost out of the purse."

"Out of the-" Silver Bullet cursed, and became silent. "Alright, fine. Go ahead."

"I'm sorry but this is the best I can come up with on such short notice," Weiss apologized.

"Whatever. Just do what you gotta do." Silver Bullet hung up, and Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. Though they were on the bottom of the card, Weiss was sure that Silver Bullet or Grimm Dogg would eventually challenge Nora- or, Lady Val Holla- for the chain. She wanted to have a strong card for Six Deep Locker, and didn't want to risk losing a battle when the event was tomorrow. Closing her scroll, Weiss flopped back onto her bed, trying to relax for a moment.

Alas, it was not to be. The door cracked open, and Ruby peeked in. "Hey, Weiss…" She said shyly, slowly slinking in sideways and softly shutting the door.

"Hi, Ruby..." Weiss said, without opening her eyes.

"You've been sneaking away for lunch a lot the last week, and I wanted to talk for a little bit."

Weiss sat up, a little embarrassed. She really hadn't thought her teammates would mind all that much. "Sorry…"

"So…" Ruby began cautiously, scooting over to sit in Weiss' desk chair, "There's… something I've heard about you, and I'm wondering if it's true…"

Weiss thought back to her encounter with Russel Thrush earlier in the week. Blake knew, and now that Weiss thought about it, it wouldn't hurt for the rest of her teammates to know, either. "Well, Ruby… the thing is, _I_ run Schnee Slam International. I created it after that battle with Jaune in the cafeteria."

"Seriously?!" Ruby asked, her eyes growing wide. "Gosh, this last week makes so much more sense, now…"

"It's a lot of work. I haven't hired anyone else yet…"

"You should!" Ruby demanded. "I haven't seen you look so tired, like, ever." Ruby gulped, and her expression softened, becoming shy again. "...But, that's not what I was wondering about…" Her gaze falling to the floor, Ruby continued, "There's been this rumor, that you're, umm… that you're a little different…"

"Different? How?"

"That, that you... prefer girls, instead of guys."

Weiss stood up straight, feeling her cheeks grow burning hot. "I don't! H-how, I mean, I know I don't act all that interested, but, you should know! We spend so much time together there's no way I could hide that!"

"I _do_ want to know, so… so when I heard…" The look on Ruby's face was scaring Weiss, and she was feeling a little light-headed. It wasn't concern or interest Weiss saw, but longing. "...So when I heard, I wanted to let you know, I would be okay with it. That- that we, maybe, we…" Ruby looked up at Weiss with a hopeful expression, and for a moment Weiss couldn't breathe.

"Um, Ruby, I- uh…" Seized with a sudden desire to leave, Weiss unceremoniously ran from the room, forgetting her scroll and text books. Ruby sighed, and slowly collected Weiss' things, taking them with her as she went to class.

~oOo~

The note was on Jaune's desk when he sat down. After making sure the professor wasn't looking, he cautiously unfolded it. " _Are you single? Pass back."_ There were simple Yes and No boxes to check, and checking to make sure no one was looking, Jaune checked yes and passed the note backwards. He had nearly forgotten about it when a few minutes later something scratched his elbow; turning around, he saw the note had fallen at his side. He picked it up and unfolded it quietly. " _Why?"_ Had been scribbled above the first question, and Jaune had to think about it for a moment. It certainly wasn't for a lack of trying. Picking up his pencil, he wrote, " _I guess I'm just waiting for someone really special."_ A true enough answer, although there was a particular Someone Special he meant. Making sure the teacher wasn't looking, Jaune turned around and tossed the note onto the desk of the girl behind him.

The rest of the class passed without incident. Jaune heard the usual whispers behind him, and thought nothing of them. In fact, they helped the day to seem normal, even though what was to come later that evening was anything but.

By the time classes were done for the day the rumor had spread, and the point-and-giggles followed Jaune around everywhere. He knew some of his classmates made fun of him for pursuing Weiss, but this was on another level entirely.

"It started after Dust Applications," Jaune said as he slipped his boxers off from underneath his bathrobe.

"Probably just some freshmen letting their minds wander," Lie lied. There was indeed a certain type of person who let their mind wander during Dust Applications, and that type of person tended to not live very long; but Lie had of course heard the rumor, and now that the theory was out there it all but confirmed something Lie had suspected about Jaune.

"Yeah, probably. And on any other day, I think I just would have ignored it. But this is _the_ day…" Jaune folded his arms on his chest and lapsed into silence, lost in thought.

Lie cleared his throat. "Did you draw on yourself with the Dust?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Jaune grinned. "Yeah. Dust properly applied. It is going to _slay._ "

Lie had to smirk. "Well, it's about twenty 'til. We should probably head up for the battle." Jaune nodded, and the two teammates went off to the battle. The hallways became more congested as the two ascended, and there was a strange rhythmic sound Jaune began to hear. On the final floor before the roof they were recognized, and the throng parted to make way. There was a raucous round of applause as they came up on the roof, and for a moment Jaune thought it was for them, but after a moment he could see a battle had just finished, and the rhythmic noise was a helicopter, providing a spotlight!

"Arc?" Asked a buff man in a suit to Jaune's left.

"Yeah, what's the deal?"

"Come with me so you can get mic'd up," The man motioned to followed, and Lie nodded to Jaune.

"You're gonna slay, man. Give it your best." Lie whispered. With a quick hug and salute, Jaune smiled and left.

Backstage, Weiss was fighting off her nerves. "I know there's a lot I could do with it, Blake, but it's too late and too big to rewrite. I might freestyle something."

"Definitely," Blake said. "With this out there now, you could _crush_ him." To be truthful, Blake occasionally thought Weiss and Jaune would be good for each other. But, at this precise moment, she simply wanted the burden the battle had placed on her friend's back to be cast off.

"I know…" Weiss said quietly, her arms folded over her chest. "I'm sure I could win anyways. The problem is that this has just snowballed past the cafeteria stage. Even if I end it here, it won't really end here."

The noise of the crowd flowed around them until Blake cleared her throat and spoke up. "Want to practice the accent?"

Weiss flashed a grin. "I ain't here to rap about-"

"Battle's on in five! Get out here!" Nora said, pulling Weiss along. On the stage, Weiss saw the cameraman adjust his settings, and the spotlight split into yellow and light blue. With a curt nod, Nora bounded up the steps and took her place center stage. Weiss followed, and saw Jaune standing in the yellow light in a bathrobe. He smiled and gave a small wave, and Weiss made the mistake of looking out to the crowd. The roof was packed, with barely any room. "Mic check," Nora said, pointing to Weiss.

"Checking, testing, Weiss is the greatest, one two three-"

"That's good. Jaune."

"Listen. If you only had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything-"

"Alright." Nora held a thumbs up to the sound board operator. Checking her scroll for a moment, Nora nodded. "Two to go. Ready, or should we wait?"

"I'm ready," Jaune and Weiss said at the same time.

Nora raised her microphone and slipped into her Lady Val Holla persona. "Motherfuckin' BEACON ACADEMY, make some noise!" Pausing to let the crowd roar, Nora flipped off one of the students on the edge of the stage. "One of the main events! Y'all know what's about to go down. I'm Lady Val Holla, and we got one of the biggest battles in Schnee Slam International history coming up. This shit's going to be legendary! Two threes and an unlimited, championship rules. But first we have to flip," Nora said, pulling out a coin. "Call it in the air!"

"Heads!" Jaune called.

Nora caught the coin, and looked. With a nod, she announced, "Arc called heads, it is tails, Schnee what you want?"

"I- uh, Jaune will go first," Said Weiss.

"Alright, Arc's up first! Make some noise!" The crowd roared once more, and Jaune closed his eyes and loosened the knot on his bathrobe. When the applause died down, he opened his eyes and flung it off, activating the Dust. The first words on his abs blinked neon red, saying "DON'T LOOK" while an arrow pointed directly at Jaune's very minimal speedo.

"They said that the first one was debateable  
Stone cold Schnee,  
And a dork that was relatable  
The tale has come full circle  
The dues been paid in full  
And now there's blood in the water  
I'm a hunter, I'm a shark  
Get ready for the flood, Weiss-  
This world ain't ready for the Arc!  
Save yourself a penny for the ferryman.  
And yeah, I see you looking everywhere 'cept me," Jaune said, winking to the crowd.  
"But I'm right in front of you now, Weiss  
You'll have to respect me  
Lyrics will have your ears ringing  
And you won't get off the hook  
Three rounds left, it might get messy  
Get it out the way now, and just look."

Weiss knew it would have to happen at some point, so it got a quick glance as she looked to Nora, whose face remained impressively neutral and unreadable behind her sunglasses. Unfortunately, both Jaune and the crowd caught the glance, and began to laugh and whistle.

"Despite what you think,  
I'm not just average  
I got a lot going on,  
I have a really good package  
Team captain- I have that status  
Sword and shield handed down through the family,  
A legacy I know how to manage  
Chance to become a Hunter- I grabbed it  
Looked my future in the eyes  
Said 'you're mine now, bitch', and stabbed it  
And I'm romantic  
Freestyle a date, or I could plan it  
Make you feel like most special girl on the planet  
Make you the star, write you a verse  
In iambic pentameter, a sonnet  
To make you feel like you're roaming the sky  
Past Neptune and the comets  
So come on,  
Put on some Eddie Money and take me home tonight!" The crowd interrupted Jaune with their cheers for a moment, and Jaune egged them on briefly.

"I can't hold back, anticipation's running through me  
You should know now, Weiss, what you do to me  
I'm shakin', this feeling isn't new to me  
Battle adrenaline, anyone else won't do it, see  
I'm fighting for a flight to where the angels sing  
Fighting for you,  
Even when you're through with me  
Built for war  
I should be sleeping; I'm not  
That's what this has cost me  
And when you're sleeping, I'm not  
That's what this has cost me  
Past the time I'm a ghost I know this will haunt me!  
They say that the first one was debatable,  
Stone cold Schnee  
And a dork that's relatable  
I came to rap from my heart  
Strictly real shit  
You know I'm honest, Weiss  
I know that they feel this." Jaune Threw up his arm for the crowd, who responded with a wave of applause. "Arc!" Jaune said, looking over to Nora. She nodded and stopped the timer, and raised the microphone.

"Alright, bottom of round one. It's on Schnee! Let's go!"

Though Weiss had a freestyle verse in mind, she decided to hold on on it for a moment, and start the battle as planned.

"I ain't about to rap about your background or origin  
I'm here to talk about the black cloud that's wrapped 'round your Aura, Jaune  
You blacked out from that sound, now your life's down the port-a-John  
It's a digital fabrication, now- Arc: you a Porygon!"

The crowd gave up a wave of laughs- though, not as large of one as Weiss would have liked- and she began to relax.

"I know I have a reputation that's frosty  
And I understand the point you're tryin' to get across to me  
But you're no hardened badass, Jaune  
You're just a lli'l softie!"

Weiss pointed to Jaune's barely there Speedo as she finished the freestyle, trying to not look too pleased as she heard Nora holding back a chortle. There was a very loud burst of laughter from the front rows, and Weiss settled in for the next few verses.

"When you talk to me,  
I know I caught your interest  
You tried a Quick Ball out of turn in the story, Jaune  
Trainer battle- blocked- no interest, conclusion foregone  
You're just another boy tryin' to catch 'em all."

Someone in the back of the crowd near the railing shouted "Pokemon, bitches!", and Weiss took a breath to steady herself. She was going to get personal- though not towards Jaune; and deep down it irked her she had to sacrifice her first round to answer his propositions once and for all.

"When I was ten, I was introduced to Wilhelm Villiers  
Almost twice my age- I thought are you serious  
He tried to date; his lies were thin- the very silliest  
He didn't want me: he was headed for where the real Lien is  
I've met guys who would date a million heirs  
Just to date a millionaire; I've seen facades, a million airs  
I've seen the pointing, a million stares  
And because of _my name_  
Romance has become a tool to debase me  
I am a woman: I will _find_ love, and not have it chase me!"

Jaune met Weiss' gaze, and nodded. The cheers from the crowd were mostly female, but he had to recognize the flow Weiss got into. He certainly did have a few rebuttals planned, though.

"And I've heard that you like to rap, and go hard on a track  
But you couldn't carry a legacy this large on your back-"

The crowd interrupted Weiss with a wave of shouts and cheers. "Yo! Hold it down!" Nora said, motioning for the crowd to quiet. Standing up to her full height, Weiss got as close to Jaune as she would dare to in his current state of dress.

"Yawn and stretch? You'll get a subtle slap  
Rebuttal that  
Lean in for the kiss? You'll get a Double Slap  
Rebuttal that  
Cop a feel? Your wrist gets a double crack  
Rebuttal that  
Your moves are inept, tune out the static  
Double back to my first verse  
You may think the problem's solved  
That you need me to evolve  
That you need Schnee to resolve the conundrum  
But you need to recall that love is costly  
And you have debts unpaid in ways that are shocking  
Round one!  
I know deep in my nous that I'm 'bout to catch a body."

Nodding again, Jaune held his hand out for a fist bump. Weiss obliged him, looking away- his hand was in an unfortunate place, from her viewpoint. Loosening up his shoulders, Jaune prepared to freestyle his rebuttal to Weiss' "rebuttal that" verse.

"You probl'y thought that verse was serious, but I thought it was funny:  
I'm an Arc; I'm not Schnee rich, but I come from old money  
Yawn and stretch? This ain't a romcom, that's the lamest move running  
Lean in for the kiss? Well Weiss, let me tell you something:  
I don't do that mouth to mouth, I do it heart to heart  
I want to feel all of you- your beauty, your scars  
I don't want you to look in the mirror one day, and wonder what's become of you  
I'm not chasing you, Weiss  
I'm right here in front of you."

There was a wave of sympathetic "aww"s, and Weiss had to look away from Jaune. Though she still wasn't interested, his rebuttal had touched something inside her.

"So, when you got angry in your first, I could kinda tell it wasn't true  
I don't wanna hear you PMSing- what can Arc do for you?"

Weiss looked back to Jaune with a sharp glare, and he grinned.

"But hey, it's cool, it's cool. This is just a rap battle, see?  
And you talked about the legacy- that means we both love family  
There's more we have in common- it's not just one thing  
The Arcs and Schnee go way back  
Our shared tradition is humbling  
Even though the link has started shrinking and crumbling  
There's still one thread that's singing and humming  
But it ain't Jaune to Weiss- I can't get past your fronting  
You see, I know if this Schnee isn't with me and blushing,  
That when you least expect it- Winter is coming!"

Jaune flung out his arms and did a trust fall, Lie catching him and pulling him back as the crowd went wild. Lie shook Jaune's shoulders and howled as he stood, grinning.

"But Weiss, let's be real  
We've all scene the evidence up on SchneeTube  
We both know for me not any Schnee will do  
My feelings for you haven't reached their sunset  
Their like the Z-Fighters on Namek:  
This Arc isn't done yet!" There was a huge pop for Jaune's verse, and he did a Hulk Hogan-esque "let me hear you" motion. He turned back to Weiss and continued his scheme:

"This love ain't on the back Burter or in the Frieza  
I've faced hateful jeering  
The timer's set  
But my heart wants the charge to blow faster  
It's a hard Cell; it's tough to get no reaction  
Like a live sitcom but there's no laughter  
Doesn't make me feel super: I'm Saiyan _blue_ -" Rapped Jaune, taking a step closer to Weiss.

"But those times when you were far away  
Are from and old chapter; it's so relaxing  
To stand face to face as an equal  
I'll trade a few big punches for a slow clapper  
Cause I know this'll come back to haunt you-  
Ghost Nappa!" The entire crowd on Beacon's roof _exploded_ with wild cheers and laughter. Jaune thought about crowd surfing briefly, but decided against it and instead did the Harlem Shake for a moment.

"Hey, keep it down!" Shouted Nora, to no effect. "Hold it, it down, let 'em work!" Despite her efforts, the crowd wouldn't quiet down. She sighed, and checked the time on her scroll. Jaune had been pretty close to the time limit before the audience went nuts. She tapped him on the shoulder and showed him the scroll, motioning back to Weiss. He nodded and shrugged, and Nora raised her voice. "Alright, chill! Bottom of round two, on Schnee!"

There was another small wave of applause, and after a few more moments the crowd finally quieted down. A small seed of a rebuttal had sprung to mind during Jaune's verse, and during the ruckus Weiss had been able to cultivate it.

"I'll admit, that Game of Thrones punch was pretty awesome  
But if you two-time a Schnee, Jaune: that's a toss-up  
Double cross ya, Bob Ross ya-" Here, Weiss formed crosshairs with her pointer fingers-

"Two hairs and some air  
They see the chalk outline? Your whole squad run  
But I'm not done: double barrel shotgun  
To your whole family, cold blooded with a heart that's frosty  
Unload on them 'til even the Grimms cry like Pepe the Frog memes-" There were a few loud shrieks, and the crowd descended into madness again. Jaune made a "stank face" and held his hand out for a fist bump, which Weiss accepted. As the crowd began to turn down she continued.

"Kick the stool- Jaune, you're too hung up on me  
In the long run that type of dedication in costly  
Pure addiction seems sweet- in the end it's the wrong thing  
Slow fall, long string  
Won't know you're strung out 'til you hit the end of the line  
You'll hit the Dust but desolation never looked so divine  
There's no one left to save!  
I'm doing you a _favor_ ; I'm trying to help  
But this is something you have to do yourself!" Out of nowhere, Weiss' mind blanked as she finished the verse. The crowd surprised her with a few whistles and some applause, and Weiss freestyled before she completely froze.

"One last point to make so you don't forget

Rhymes like Head-On: apply directly to the forehead  
Rhymes like Head-On: apply directly to the forehead  
Rhymes like Head-On: apply directly to the forehead  
Rhymes like Head-On: apply directly to the forehead!" Still nothing was coming up, so Weiss freestyled some set-up for her final round.

"I see art in magic, and magic in art  
This is not just a hobby  
My passion is to redefine the role I was given from the start  
And be the pawn of nobody  
You're a spineless next in line, a clone copy  
Just out of habit, you break your own heart  
Your spirit steady keeps your hope dropping  
Carve the headstone  
Cause my next round will split your soul from your body!" Weiss motioned to Nora to stop her time, and took a deep breath...

Jaune was also tense, but for different reasons. He'd finally realized the arc of Weiss' rounds, and knew her next round would hit hard. Very hard. Previously, he hadn't thought Weiss would go so far, but since she was going to aim low, he would, too.

"So let's take a look at your history:  
You're from Atlas;  
The burden on your back is a legacy of misery  
Titanic errors run through your genes like dysentery  
Centuries of racism gaining traction  
Your father is classist!

He's on track to make the Schnee name like a bitter dream  
How he hasn't been assassinated is a fucking mystery  
And your sister-" Said Jaune pointedly, stepping to inches away from Weiss,

"Unafraid to trade her name for a quicker scheme  
She's tactless, an actress; you're not in her league  
Fact is, you ain't the first choice for what Winter needs  
And your mother wouldn't hesitate to sell you out for a bigger dream  
Cause her little baby is hapless, no more than plaque in her teeth  
Ditchin' you is the solution  
Because they all lack inner peace  
You know they'll cut you out- ruthless  
Be a true part of the family?  
In your dreams!" There were a smattering of "oohs" and a loud "daaaayum!" from the crowd, and Weiss frowned. She didn't anticipate Jaune getting personal like this. He stayed in her face and continued,

"You've been the Remnant of a bad dream since your Inception  
Picture the scene: sunny city day out with the family  
At a cafe, but all your big dreams  
Are blown back in your face  
You see your father for the monster he is  
Your sister and mom, too  
Like a wall, reality's folding in on you  
You had your time, but you get _no more_  
As soon as that minute stops  
You just can't separate fact from fiction-  
Cut to the spinning top!" The crowd caught on to Jaune's scheme and turned up, cheering and whistling. Jaune could see the effect his round had had on Weiss so far. Her gaze had turned cold and steely, her arms folded under her chest. He took a step back and geared up to finish.

"I know you have a lot to handle  
You moved your dreams to the shelf  
And I've been trying to help  
Cause this is something that you just can't do by yourself  
A house divided cannot stand  
And hot damn, the Schnee are a House of Cards

Ready to drop, man." Jaune looked aside into the on-stage camera and whispered,

"The TV reference is irrelevant  
But I'll play her game for now-" The crowd interrupted Jaune with a pop for a moment, but he geared up to finish and went on,

"The Schnee situation could be a beast to stop  
But a one on one talk might accomplish  
More than a letter could  
And a li'l birdie told me  
You got a call from your pops  
Did you think he wouldn't know?  
Did it come as a shock, feel like you were socked in the face?  
Remember:  
You were never his little pet in the first place  
You're a domestic terrorist to him, his worst shame  
He brings out the animal in you,  
Tight leash  
You've still got a tethered foot  
Cause you know your father hits you harder  
Than the White Fang ever could!" Jaune could've sworn the temperature on stage dropped several degrees. He saw Weiss' fists balled up, her knuckles white.

Weiss felt her face and body flaming up with rage, her mind racing. Before her anger could wipe her mind clean, she launched into the rebuttal that had come to mind during Jaune's Inception scheme.

"Dream to dream  
Watch the face in the mirror change  
One round, the picture shatters  
The bullet's already in your brain!" Weiss shouted, spit flying into Jaune's face.

"Chasing shadows, going in circles  
The landscape remains the same  
Can't wake and face the same  
It was a match made in Heaven,  
But someone had to take the fall  
One dies, one survives  
Can't look yourself in the face at all  
If you knew her-  
You knew this is how it had to be  
And the fact you won't recognize it  
Is the real tragedy  
Sadness is like gravity:  
All it takes is a little push-" Whooping and hollering, the crowd overran Weiss' verse. She maintained eye contact with Jaune, and prepared a freestyle to deliver the verse she had been building to the whole battle.

"Dream to dream  
Circles on circles and you're still out of the loop  
Let me welcome you in  
You're a virgin,  
Nervous around members of my sex  
High stress situation for a goof like you  
You have desire, see yourself as a fighter  
Looking for love to take you higher  
But this is Vale, bitch  
Your white knighting just makes you look like a liar-" Weiss gestured to Jaune's lower body, sticking in a freestyled line.

"Pants on fire, and they already burned up  
This is life or death with three fourths of our life left  
And you aren't man enough to handle a Schnee _and_ a life debt  
You've been chasing a replacement sensation so reckless  
Death Magnetic-  
It's yourself you can't forgive  
Because you know you won't forget!" Lowering her voice, Weiss stepped in.

"You've been hanging on my every word  
Ever since my first verse  
You've been watching these rounds  
Like a child with a sweet tooth  
And I've been out of reach, too  
Almost out of view, on the top shelf  
You grab the chair to help  
End the flashback, snap to the living nightmare  
You couldn't do anything to stop it  
And you were _right there_  
And ever since that day,  
Your life has been a fever dream  
At night, you can still see her bleed  
Close your eyes, her demise is seared on the back of your eyelids  
Whenever you're alone  
So when you slip on that noose,  
It'll feel like coming home!" Save for a few shocked cries, the crowd dropped into a stunned silence. Jaune held his face in his hands, and turned back to his teammates.

Nora looked to Weiss, and raised up the microphone. "Let's make some noise for both of these guys, this battle was INSANE. C'mon!" The crowd amped up, getting a steady wave of applause going. Weiss sighed, looking back to her teammates. Yang raised an eyebrow, and Ruby looked disappointed. At that point, Weiss began to feel disappointed with herself- with the way Ruby looked and how Jaune reacted, she knew she had gone too far. "Alright, alright. Now, this _is_ a championship rules battle, so we gotta get the vote going. Before I send it to the judges, first vote goes to you guys. If you think Weiss Schnee took this one, make some noise!" Weiss was surprised by the volume, the crowd roaring for a few moments. "'Kay, 'kay. Now let's hear it for Jaune Arc!" Weiss heard a similar volume, but shrank down a little inside. It wasn't by too much, but it was clear to her the crowd thought Jaune won. She looked back over at him, and he was still turned away, talking with his team. "Alright, it's sounding like you guys are puttin' this one on Arc. Let's kick it back to our two judges!"

Cinder deferred to Ozpin, smoothing down her disguise. The professor cleared his throat.

"Now, I'll admit, I'm new to rap, but as a teacher I do have a good knowledge of the language. My research said it was common to write your material beforehand, and I could see clear traces of that in both Arc and Schnee's lyrics. Young Mister Arc showed a wonderful ability to improvise. However, I have to hold his attire for the battle against him. It… was an effective disruption, but not one that relied on his skill with rap. Miss Arc- excuse me, Miss Schnee- also showed the ability to improvise. So, on the whole, I will have to award the victory to Miss Schnee."

The crowd gave a strong mixed reaction to the decision, and Ozpin looked over to Cinder. _Personally, I hate rap and I don't care who was better. But after that last round, there's only one person I can pick_ , she thought. Ember took a moment to remember the voice that went with her disguise, and spoke. "My esteemed colleague made some excellent points. Both Miss Schnee and Mister Arc showed technical proficiency and the ability to improvise, but Arc had a greater charisma, which is what I would attribute the crowd's vote to. However, my own research showed the point of battle rap was to defeat your opponent, and not engage the crowd. Despite his charisma, Arc didn't come into focus until the last round. Miss Schnee remained sharp throughout all her material, steadily building it up," Said Cinder, motioning with her hand. _Sounds plausible enough._ "On that note, I have to award the victory to Miss Schnee."

The mixed reaction returned, even stronger. "Hold it down!" Nora shouted, to no avail. "Alright! The winner of this battle and a million lien is Weiss! Schnee!" Jaune finally looked over at Weiss, but she had turned away, and was rushing through the crowd.

"Weiss! WEISS!"

 **THE END**


End file.
